Lime Creek
After running about half of Shrine Pass we reached the Lime Creek trailhead. For the first time of the day everyone put their Jeeps in 4-Low. The beginning of the trail is a rocky, uphill climb. Before long we came to the first obstacle, a large rock in the middle of the trail.
Dave went first in his Jeep and couldn't quite get through the obstacle. His front tires refused to get any traction to help his rear tires. After a few attempts he went around the side of the rock. Patrick went next and with a little throttle he and his Jeep bumped his way up the rock. Bryan was third and followed Patrick's lead. Throttle and some careful driving got him up and over the rock.
Ladd's turn was next. He and his Jeep tried the same line the last two Jeeps tackled with no success. After a couple of failed attempts he went around it instead. Bob was up after Ladd and his Jeep fared no better than the others before him. Lockers and experienced driving allowed him to bypass to the right as well.
Bill came last. Everyone hoped that he would improve the bad luck had so far by the Jeep Rubicons in the group and drive right through the obstacle, but it was not meant to be. He ended up going around it, too.
We left the rock obstacle and continued up Lime Creek. With all of the rain that Colorado has seen this June and July, the wildflowers were in full, picturesque bloom. Mountain slope after mountain slope were covered in reds, blues, yellows and whites creating a colorful sight. A lot of the talk on the CB was dedicated to Mother Nature's skills.
After a few miles of single-lane trail, we came to an open field next to a stream that would be a splendid spot for a bite to eat. Jeeps parked, we set up our chairs to have lunch. After 40 minutes or so, we were done with a pleasant lunch without seeing other trail riders. It seemed that we were going to have the trail to ourselves.
Five dogs (Achilles, Otis, Nova, Buddy and Bob and Kris's new dog Ellie) were put into Jeeps, two kids (Samantha and Benjamin) were strapped in with Cinderella playing in the DVD player, and several spouses and guests hopped into co-pilot seats. We soon continued to meander up the trail.
At the top of an uphill rocky section is a "T" in the trail that looked like a good spot for Dave's wife to get out and take some pictures. Dave started up the hill looking for the hardest line. There were no particularly tough lines to be found, so Dave tried to make the climb look easy. Parking his Jeep at the top of the hill, Dave noticed several people on ATVs had stopped to watch the event.
Patrick glided up the trail without incident. Bryan's Jeep also made the hill look easy. Consequently, we all decided that the hill was indeed easy. Bob came up uneventfully, as did Ladd and Bill.
A left turn at the "T" led us toward the end of the trail, but not before some gorgeous wildflower fields. They were stunning. As a complement to the wildflowers there were many dazzling butterflies. It seemed like a paradise with all the wildflowers. Butterflies would even congregate in the middle of the trail at times.
After enjoying the views, we headed toward the end of the trail, finding it at 1:30PM. Having missed the Benson Cabin trail, Bill suggested we head back down Shrine Pass to find it. The rest of the group agreed, except Ladd and Bob. They headed for home while the rest of us headed over to do another trail.
Reports from Other Days: 2
Use the arrows or dots to flip through the previews of the other reports for Lime Creek. Click one of them to read more and see all of the photos from that day.
